Wood Ducks At A Feeder In Columbia Cornell Bird Watch

No matter what size your backyard landscaping limits are you can have a delicious apple, cherry, plum, pear, peach, or nectarine tree. The choices are now hardy for most zones and the choices of sizes can fit into any backyard landscaping theme. The standard size is available for large yards, the semi-dwarf for medium yards, and the wonderful new 6-9 foot dwarfs for small yards. You have the beauty of a flowering tree and the bonus of incredibly delicious chemical free fruit for you and your family to eat.

For the tropical effect, you should have at least one palm tree. It’s hard to imagine a tropical landscape without the presence of palms. Why palm trees aren’t used more in southern landscapes can only be attributed to lack of information. Plant one and you can be sure you’ll hear more than one ”You can’t grow that here!”. There a number of palms that can handle very low temps with little or no damage. Windmill, Sabal, and needle palms come to mind. Palms create the tropical foundation, now you need to enhance the tropical effect. Let’s throw in some bananas, cannas, and elephant ears with their huge leaves for a start. All are very easy to grow and, with a little work, can be protected so that they come back year over year. Yucca and big ornamental grasses add great tropical effect too. Add some real color sizzle with tropical hibiscus, coleus, and Mandevilla and you’re going to start humming Jimmy Buffett and reggae tunes for sure.

Creating a Solid Foundation, The good news is that this may start with what you already have. Here, use only things that are reliably winter hardy. This is the skeleton for your backyard landscape and we want it strong. Large trees, evergreen shrubs and small understory trees, and perennials that return year after year will set your foundation. This is completely specific to your area.